It was some bamboo canes and a couple of old Belfast sinks that saved the day at Weeds HQ last weekend. The builders are in next door and they’ve erected a 8ft high chipwood berlin wall type structure between us. To say it was initially a sight for sore eyes is an understatement so something had to be sorted.
A couple of the heavy Belfast sinks left behind by the previous owners were moved about a bit. The climbers that were growing a bit wild in them were given a prune with some secateurs and then trained around some bamboo wigwam canes. Then after a good water and a bit of a wipe down a visual compromise was reached early Saturday afternoon (above). 
Bamboo canes are also in use at the veg patch at the bottom of the garden as a bit of a cat deterrent thrown over the now “earthed up” seed potatoes that have now started to come through the surface. The canes will hopefully keep out the local moggies (including our own) that like to use the bed as a cat loo.
Also last weekend we put in some seeds of the Echium ‘Snow Tower’ which we bought off ebay. We love anything here that is described as “rare”, “giant” or “unusual” and I reckon this flower might at least fit two of those descriptions. It’s a hardy biennial that in the first year grows a large rosette of silver-grey leaves and then in the second a tall white flower spike of up to 15ft high. Now you’re talking!
And here’s a couple of tunes that will come in handy if you ever have to move a couple of heavy sinks. The first is a 12 minutes well jazzed out tune from Kamasi Washington called “Truth” as heard on the Tom Ravenscroft show and over a redo of the Queen of the Minstrel rhythm Sycorah with “Undercover Lover” as played on the Rt Hon David Rodigan show. Both are tunes!
There was a frost here Wednesday morning (as we’re sure we saw a white veil over the local cars on the way to work) and hopefully that’ll be it now, even though it’s still a bit parkie outside today.
We’re not taking any chances here for a few days at least, the tomato plants that were outside in the upside down terrarium are now in the back room (that might have to be 
And if you have lost a plant or two in the recent frosts here’s a tune for you…
The last few days haven’t been that warm but they’ve been nice enough to go out and catch up on a few jobs in the garden. I know we mentioned we weren’t going to put in those pre-chitted spuds on Good Friday as per tradition but we cracked yesterday (Easter Sunday) and stuck in a couple of rows of 
Talking of protection there’s a couple of tomato plants under the tipped up 
A couple of rows of spinach and basil seed even went in (yes we’re well optimistic about the weather) under a homemade cold frame type affair made out of an old window and some old wood. It was really a ploy to get rid of a “bargain” obtained at B&Q the other day; a massive sack (125L) of multi-purpose compost for £6.50. As soon as we opened the bag we knew why it was so cheap, it honked to high heaven and it’s not something you want to be putting in pots indoors for certain. As the old saying goes “there’s no such thing as a free lunch (or a compost bargain).”
Last weekend was a corker when it came to sunshine as on Sunday the temperature in London reached 20 odd degrees. The lawn was cut and a good load of jobs were completed and we even gave the seedlings (tomatoes, brussels sprouts, peppers and walking onion) that are on their way indoors a bit of a break in the sun.
Traditionally this week (Good Friday) is the time for putting seed potatoes in (so the late great 
Here’s a great podcast discovered this week called 
Last week while visiting our garden pond we noticed the absence of the many goldfish that usually frequent it and tonight we discovered why. Look just near the top of the picture left of centre; we reckon that grey bodied, long necked 
Weeds up to me knees 